Developers return with revised data as council reopens voluntary-annexation discussion for Homewood/612 Coleman Lane

Developers proposing a 35-lot single-family subdivision tied to a voluntary annexation request for property near Homewood Lane (612 Coleman Lane) returned to the Fredericksburg City Council to provide additional traffic, water and market data and to ask for council feedback before filing a new annexation application.

Mark Barnett and Jacob Grant, speaking for the development team, said the project—designed as a continuation of nearby Sonoma Oaks and Harmony Hills neighborhoods—targets a “missing middle” price bracket of roughly the low-$400,000s to mid-$500,000s and would provide housing for local workers (teachers, law enforcement, healthcare workers and tradespeople). They presented county assessor and building-permit data indicating a modest increase in homestead property counts over the last decade and said those figures supported demand for mid-price single-family homes.

Developers told council they had coordinated landscaping and low-flow fixture strategies with Hill Country Alliance and had prepared a traffic-impact analysis (TIA) that incorporated counts for nearby intersections, including the new middle school access. They said a TIA did not show a significant impact from the proposed 35 homes and that the project team planned standard drainage and detention measures to avoid downstream impacts.

More than a dozen neighbors spoke during public comment, urging caution. Concerns included downstream washouts, existing traffic on Friendship Lane, uncertainty about cumulative impacts of multiple nearby developments and a desire for the city to align zoning and the comprehensive plan via a Unified Development Code (UDC) update before approving new subdivisions. “We are already having major washout downhill and downstream from the runoff already,” said Janet (a nearby property owner), who asked council to delay annexation pending more comprehensive studies.

Council members reiterated they have authority only over voluntary annexation; staff said the current agenda item was for discussion and feedback and required no vote. Several council members said they supported further review before any annexation vote; one council member reiterated a prior decision to deny the earlier annexation request, and others suggested a pause of up to six months to let the new middle school and the recently approved Sonoma Oaks phase 1 settle into operation and produce up-to-date traffic counts. Staff said the city is preparing an updated corridor traffic-count study and an ongoing utility master-plan update.

Developers said construction would likely not yield occupied homes before 2027 and that, if approved, the project would produce local construction jobs and generate impact fees and tax base growth. The council did not take an action; staff and developers will continue coordination and may return with a formal annexation application and refined studies.